Alderton's WW1 War Dead
Below are the biographical and military details of the sixteen men listed on the Alderton War memorial
Name/Rank: Private Reginald James Agg
Regiment/Battalion: 2/5th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 4651
Date died: 25/09/1916
Buried: Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, La Gorgue, France.
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial and the 1/5th & 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment memorial in Gloucester Park, Gloucester
Reginald James Agg was born in Alderton in 1896. His parents George and Emma had six other children, Walter, Charlotte, George, Charles, Rosetta and Albert. Next door lived a William and Emma Agg, who were possibly Reginald’s grandparents. The 1911 census shows Reginald living at the Post Office, Alderton with his father, mother and the following siblings, Charlotte (Post Office assistant), Charles (boot repairer), Rosetta (domestic help) and Albert (horseman on farm). Reginald is also listed as a horseman on a farm.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Reginald enlisted in the 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment at Cheltenham, between November and December 1915. The 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment was a territorial battalion formed initially in Gloucester in September 1914 and part of 184th brigade, 61st Division. Following a period of training in England the battalion landed in France in May 1916.
During September 1916 the 2/5th battalion were in and out of the line in the Laventie sector, Northern France. On the night of 25th September Reginald’s battalion were holding trenches at Mauquissart when the Germans blew a mine under the trenches killing six members of the battalion. One of these six was Reginald Agg. He is buried alongside his five mates at Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, a short distance from the trenches where he was killed.
Following Reginald’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £5 5s 8d and £3 that were paid to his mother Emma in December 1916 and August 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Reginald’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants. In addition, a pension of 10/- in respect of Reginald Agg was awarded to George Agg from 25/01/19 for life.
Reginald was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Reginald Agg is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial, the 1/5th and 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment memorial in Gloucester Park and is buried in the Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, La Gorgue, France.
Regiment/Battalion: 2/5th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 4651
Date died: 25/09/1916
Buried: Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, La Gorgue, France.
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial and the 1/5th & 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment memorial in Gloucester Park, Gloucester
Reginald James Agg was born in Alderton in 1896. His parents George and Emma had six other children, Walter, Charlotte, George, Charles, Rosetta and Albert. Next door lived a William and Emma Agg, who were possibly Reginald’s grandparents. The 1911 census shows Reginald living at the Post Office, Alderton with his father, mother and the following siblings, Charlotte (Post Office assistant), Charles (boot repairer), Rosetta (domestic help) and Albert (horseman on farm). Reginald is also listed as a horseman on a farm.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Reginald enlisted in the 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment at Cheltenham, between November and December 1915. The 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment was a territorial battalion formed initially in Gloucester in September 1914 and part of 184th brigade, 61st Division. Following a period of training in England the battalion landed in France in May 1916.
During September 1916 the 2/5th battalion were in and out of the line in the Laventie sector, Northern France. On the night of 25th September Reginald’s battalion were holding trenches at Mauquissart when the Germans blew a mine under the trenches killing six members of the battalion. One of these six was Reginald Agg. He is buried alongside his five mates at Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, a short distance from the trenches where he was killed.
Following Reginald’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £5 5s 8d and £3 that were paid to his mother Emma in December 1916 and August 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Reginald’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants. In addition, a pension of 10/- in respect of Reginald Agg was awarded to George Agg from 25/01/19 for life.
Reginald was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Reginald Agg is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial, the 1/5th and 2/5th Gloucestershire regiment memorial in Gloucester Park and is buried in the Pont-Du-Hem military cemetery, La Gorgue, France.
Name/Rank: Private Arthur Bishop
Regiment/Battalion: 7th & 12th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry
Service No: 17051/290038
Date died: 14th February 1919
Buried: Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial
Arthur William Bishop was born in Northleach in 1894. His parents John and Susannah had four other children Rose, Lizzie, Helen & Frances and census records show the family moving around between Northleach, Salfords Prior in Warwickshire and Alderton. By 1911 they were living in Alderton and Arthur was aged 17, and his occupation was a worker in a canning factory.
Sometime after the outbreak of war Arthur enlisted in the 7th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry in Deptford, Kent, though his place of residence at that time was Grove Park, Middlesex. There are no records available to provide details of Arthur’s service but from analysis of casualty records of 7th battalion members with similar service numbers to Arthur’s, it’s likely that he served in France and Flanders with the 7th battalion from the middle of 1916. Later Arthur was transferred to the 12th battalion of the Somerset’s and given the new number 290038. The 12th battalion had been formed in Egypt in 1917 from members of the dismounted Somerset Yeomanry. They moved to France in May 1918 in the 229th brigade, 74th Division. It is unknown whether Arthur served with the 12th battalion in Egypt.
On 7th September 1918 the 12th Somersets moved up into the line around Longavesnes, in the Somme region. They were relieved on the 9th September except D company who remained with the 12th Black Watch in the line. Arthur was in 14 platoon, D company. On the 10th September Albert’s D company were subjected to a very strong German counter-attack. Following this action 24 other ranks were missing alongside a Capt. F.F. Edbrooke MC (taken prisoner). During this action Arthur received a gunshot wound to his upper thigh and was taken prisoner. He was at Quedlinbourg POW camp where he died in hospital on 14th February 1919. Arthur was buried in the Niederzwehren cemetery, Kassel, Germany which was used as a concentration cemetery after the war for allied POWs who had died whilst interned.
According to handwritten notes on Arthur's Red Cross POW card he had a contact listed as a Miss Griffiths, The Shack, Chipping Campden, Glos. She had presumably written to the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur. There was a prominent Griffiths family in Chipping Campden of which a daughter Josephine was noted as: “During WW1, she was continually active in raising funds for the Red Cross and other military associations by organising knitting and garden parties and door to door collections. Her descriptions of Armistice Day celebrations are all recorded in local history books, as well as the part she took in the erection of the Town War Memorial in 1921.” According to the 1901 census Arthur’s oldest sister Rose was employed as a parlour maid for the Griffiths family, Bedfont House, Chipping Campden and through this relationship Josephine Griffiths contacted the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur Bishop. By 1911 Rose had married Frederick Benfield (Army Service Corps 1915-1919) and was still living in Chipping Campden, where she remained until her death in 1958.
Following Arthur’s death, a pension was paid to his mother Susannah, though no amount is noted on the pension record. The pension record has an address of 28 Heather Road, Grove Park, Lee, London which is crossed out. This could have been Arthur’s London address and tallies with his enlistment record.
Following Arthur’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists an amount of £46 5s 11d which was paid to his mother Susannah in 1919. This amount included the remains of Arthur’s army pay and a war gratuity payment of £24 paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Arthur was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Arthur Bishop is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial and is buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany.
Regiment/Battalion: 7th & 12th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry
Service No: 17051/290038
Date died: 14th February 1919
Buried: Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial
Arthur William Bishop was born in Northleach in 1894. His parents John and Susannah had four other children Rose, Lizzie, Helen & Frances and census records show the family moving around between Northleach, Salfords Prior in Warwickshire and Alderton. By 1911 they were living in Alderton and Arthur was aged 17, and his occupation was a worker in a canning factory.
Sometime after the outbreak of war Arthur enlisted in the 7th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry in Deptford, Kent, though his place of residence at that time was Grove Park, Middlesex. There are no records available to provide details of Arthur’s service but from analysis of casualty records of 7th battalion members with similar service numbers to Arthur’s, it’s likely that he served in France and Flanders with the 7th battalion from the middle of 1916. Later Arthur was transferred to the 12th battalion of the Somerset’s and given the new number 290038. The 12th battalion had been formed in Egypt in 1917 from members of the dismounted Somerset Yeomanry. They moved to France in May 1918 in the 229th brigade, 74th Division. It is unknown whether Arthur served with the 12th battalion in Egypt.
On 7th September 1918 the 12th Somersets moved up into the line around Longavesnes, in the Somme region. They were relieved on the 9th September except D company who remained with the 12th Black Watch in the line. Arthur was in 14 platoon, D company. On the 10th September Albert’s D company were subjected to a very strong German counter-attack. Following this action 24 other ranks were missing alongside a Capt. F.F. Edbrooke MC (taken prisoner). During this action Arthur received a gunshot wound to his upper thigh and was taken prisoner. He was at Quedlinbourg POW camp where he died in hospital on 14th February 1919. Arthur was buried in the Niederzwehren cemetery, Kassel, Germany which was used as a concentration cemetery after the war for allied POWs who had died whilst interned.
According to handwritten notes on Arthur's Red Cross POW card he had a contact listed as a Miss Griffiths, The Shack, Chipping Campden, Glos. She had presumably written to the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur. There was a prominent Griffiths family in Chipping Campden of which a daughter Josephine was noted as: “During WW1, she was continually active in raising funds for the Red Cross and other military associations by organising knitting and garden parties and door to door collections. Her descriptions of Armistice Day celebrations are all recorded in local history books, as well as the part she took in the erection of the Town War Memorial in 1921.” According to the 1901 census Arthur’s oldest sister Rose was employed as a parlour maid for the Griffiths family, Bedfont House, Chipping Campden and through this relationship Josephine Griffiths contacted the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur Bishop. By 1911 Rose had married Frederick Benfield (Army Service Corps 1915-1919) and was still living in Chipping Campden, where she remained until her death in 1958.
Following Arthur’s death, a pension was paid to his mother Susannah, though no amount is noted on the pension record. The pension record has an address of 28 Heather Road, Grove Park, Lee, London which is crossed out. This could have been Arthur’s London address and tallies with his enlistment record.
Following Arthur’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists an amount of £46 5s 11d which was paid to his mother Susannah in 1919. This amount included the remains of Arthur’s army pay and a war gratuity payment of £24 paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Arthur was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Arthur Bishop is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial and is buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany.
Name/Rank: Lance Corporal Charles Box
Regiment/Battalion: 10th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 17365
Date died: 22-23 July 1916
Buried/Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme
Commemorated: Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials
Charles Box was born in Bourton-on-the-Hill in 1881. His parents George and Fanny also had a daughter Agnes who was born in 1890. Census records show the family moving around between Cropthorne and Willersley. By 1911 Charles was living in Alderton and was married to Angelina and had a son, William aged 1. Charles’s occupation is listed as a general labourer. His sister-in-law Hilda aged 13 was also living with them. The Sedgeberrow Parish magazine of August 1915 notes Charles as serving in France, and the November 1916 edition lists his death alongside other Sedgeberrow men. So it's likely that Charles was living in Sedgeberrow when he enlisted.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Charles enlisted in the 10th battalion the Gloucestershire regiment at Cheltenham in December 1914. After a period of training the battalion arrived in France on 9th August 1915, forming part of the 1st brigade, 1st Division. The 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of Loos* in September 1915 and suffered horrendous casualties with 8 officers and 159 men of the battalion losing their lives (including Alderton’s William Diston - see later entry). Several other Alderton men were in the 10th Gloucesters at Loos including Albert Agg (see Reginald Agg entry) and brothers Harry, Frederick and Arthur Chandler. From medal records for the 1914-15 Star and analysis of casualty records of 10th battalion members with similar service numbers to Charles’s it’s likely that he was with the battalion during the attack at Loos and was one of the fortunate survivors.
Later in the war the 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of the Somme in July 1916. They were in the front-line south of Martinpuich on 21st July in preparation for an attack on the German Switch trench on the 23rd. It was during this attack that Charles Box was killed alongside fifty-six of his battalion comrades. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thievpal memorial to the missing on the Somme.
Following Charles’s death pension records show his wife Angelina Elizabeth Box living in Dumbleton with 3 children, William George, Arthur Charles (4) and Gladys (1). They received a pension of 20/6 a week paid from 22/01/17. Angelina died in 1968 aged 82 in Surrey (St. John the Baptist church). Her address was 76 Inkerman Road, Knaphill.
Following Charles’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £2 17s 5d & £6 10s that were paid to his wife Angelina in November 1916 and September 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Charles’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Charles’s service in 1915 entitled him to the 1914-1915 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals.
Charles Box is commemorated on the Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials, and the Thiepval memorial on the Somme, France.
* For an excellent study of the 10th Gloucester’s formation, training and action at Loos see “In the Shadow of Lone Tree “by Nick Christian.
Regiment/Battalion: 10th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 17365
Date died: 22-23 July 1916
Buried/Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme
Commemorated: Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials
Charles Box was born in Bourton-on-the-Hill in 1881. His parents George and Fanny also had a daughter Agnes who was born in 1890. Census records show the family moving around between Cropthorne and Willersley. By 1911 Charles was living in Alderton and was married to Angelina and had a son, William aged 1. Charles’s occupation is listed as a general labourer. His sister-in-law Hilda aged 13 was also living with them. The Sedgeberrow Parish magazine of August 1915 notes Charles as serving in France, and the November 1916 edition lists his death alongside other Sedgeberrow men. So it's likely that Charles was living in Sedgeberrow when he enlisted.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Charles enlisted in the 10th battalion the Gloucestershire regiment at Cheltenham in December 1914. After a period of training the battalion arrived in France on 9th August 1915, forming part of the 1st brigade, 1st Division. The 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of Loos* in September 1915 and suffered horrendous casualties with 8 officers and 159 men of the battalion losing their lives (including Alderton’s William Diston - see later entry). Several other Alderton men were in the 10th Gloucesters at Loos including Albert Agg (see Reginald Agg entry) and brothers Harry, Frederick and Arthur Chandler. From medal records for the 1914-15 Star and analysis of casualty records of 10th battalion members with similar service numbers to Charles’s it’s likely that he was with the battalion during the attack at Loos and was one of the fortunate survivors.
Later in the war the 10th Gloucesters took part in the battle of the Somme in July 1916. They were in the front-line south of Martinpuich on 21st July in preparation for an attack on the German Switch trench on the 23rd. It was during this attack that Charles Box was killed alongside fifty-six of his battalion comrades. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thievpal memorial to the missing on the Somme.
Following Charles’s death pension records show his wife Angelina Elizabeth Box living in Dumbleton with 3 children, William George, Arthur Charles (4) and Gladys (1). They received a pension of 20/6 a week paid from 22/01/17. Angelina died in 1968 aged 82 in Surrey (St. John the Baptist church). Her address was 76 Inkerman Road, Knaphill.
Following Charles’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £2 17s 5d & £6 10s that were paid to his wife Angelina in November 1916 and September 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Charles’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Charles’s service in 1915 entitled him to the 1914-1915 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals.
Charles Box is commemorated on the Alderton and Sedgeberrow War memorials, and the Thiepval memorial on the Somme, France.
* For an excellent study of the 10th Gloucester’s formation, training and action at Loos see “In the Shadow of Lone Tree “by Nick Christian.
